Longevity Health Plans and Finding Your Sweet Spot
Training for Longevity and Long-Term Health
If you want to live a longer life, and one in which you remain as healthy as possible, it’s crucial to find the sweet spot between too much and too little exercise.
The exercise regimen that delivers sustainable health cannot be found on the internet or in a book, no matter how deeply you search for it. We’re all different, with different lives, daily routines, families, hobbies, and health histories. The sweet spot you seek can only be found by focusing on your personal fitness goals and other factors that are unique to you – only then can you develop a regimen of activities and exercises that are enjoyable and sustainable to deliver long-term benefits. We call this your longevity health plan.
In this article, Reload founder Dr Ryan Chow guides you through how we guide our clients to the ideal balance in their personal exercise regimens.
Who Are the Types of People Who Come to Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy caters to a diversity of individuals, each of whom has unique challenges and goals. However, we can divide clients into two typical types who seek physical therapy:
The Overachievers
These are the people who are training too hard and unsustainably. They’ll do high-intensity classes two, three, or four days per week. Unless they’ve built it up very gradually and established their ability to do high-intensity classes, that’s an unsustainable pace.
This level of intense exercise leads to burn out. We need to mix some high intensity with some low intensity. You should adopt an ebb and flow rhythm – some high intensity followed by easier exercise, then take it up again before coming back down, and so on.
A lot of people that come to us are just going hard all the time, because that’s what so many market. It’s what they are selling, so it’s what they ‘advise’. You’re told it’s good for you, so you take their class four days a week, they make more money, and their class is all high intensity. Those classes may be fun, but it’s also unsustainable. You start, get excited, then find that you need to stop.
There’s no strategic approach here. You dive into a routine of multiple high-intensity workouts several times a week without proper build-up. This approach may yield quick results but is unsustainable, leading to potential burnout and injury.
The Cautious
On the other end of the spectrum are those who, often following medical advice, avoid exercise due to pain or fear of injury. These clients engage in minimal, low-intensity exercises which may prevent immediate discomfort but lead to a gradual decline in overall fitness and strength. You become so scared of movement and ‘overdoing it’, that you detrain and slowly get weaker and your fitness falters.
When the pain has finally subsided – because they have stopped everything – when they return to exercise or activity (whether by design or incidentally), it’s often that people jump back in and become hurt again, because they are weaker than before.
In short, it’s crucial to hit a sweet spot and develop a balanced routine based upon your unique history, your injuries, your health conditions, what you’ve been doing lately, as well as the exercises and activities that you enjoy.
How Reload Physical Therapy Helps with Longevity Health Plans
At Reload, our approach to promoting longevity in health involves a multi-step process tailored to your individual needs. This ensures effectiveness and enhances sustainability in health practices. Here’s how we make it happen:
1) Focused on Your Goal and ‘Why’
Understanding your unique motivations and goals is the cornerstone of our approach. Whether it’s gaining strength to play tennis, run, or simply keep up with your kids or grandkids, we delve deep into the reasons behind your fitness goals. By understanding your ‘why’, we can create a personalized plan that not only addresses your immediate needs, but also ensures we develop a sustainable and enjoyable exercise regimen, reducing the risk of injury and burnout.
2) We Test and Retest
Assessment is key to our process. We begin by conducting a physical therapy evaluation to assess your current abilities and compare them to the demands of your chosen activities – for example, the agility and endurance needed for tennis. This helps us identify potential risks and areas for improvement. We then continue to test and retest; an ongoing process that enables us to evolve your training regimen to deliver continual improvement and enhancement of performance in specific areas, while reducing risk of injury and pain.
3) Identify Important Biomarkers We Can Track
Longevity isn’t just about staying active; it’s also about understanding and mitigating health risks. We help you identify key biomarkers relevant to your health concerns – for example, if family history means that you have a heightened risk of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. We know the specific type of cardiovascular work you should be doing, and the specific types of metabolic profiles that lower risk for various conditions.
We help measure crucial biomarkers, and describe how they relate to you and the changes you should make – then we support you in making these changes to achieve your health goals.
4) Coaching with You Every Step of the Way
Confusion often arises from conflicting health advice – you’re told to eat less, and simultaneously advised to eat more protein. Then there’s the inevitable Google search that results in a thousand different answers to the same question.
Our role is to provide clear, scientifically-backed guidance that cuts through the noise. From diet adjustments to exercise habits, we support you in making informed, healthy choices and adjust these plans as needed, ensuring they work for you over the long term.
5) Simplify Movement
There’s some great information available online. There’s also an incredible amount of misleading information.
We advocate for a return to the basics. Our focus is on fundamental, research-backed practices in both diet and exercise. By demystifying movement and debunking exercise fads, we keep you grounded in what truly works for your body.
6) Educate People on How Their Own Specific Body Works
Every person’s body responds differently to exercise, and what may be a green light for one could be a red light for another. In fact, most people we work with see green lights whereas we see red lights. You don’t come with an instruction manual that describes what you should do, how, and when.
We teach you to interpret the signals your body sends, guiding you through the initial stages of a new activity cautiously. For example, starting with lighter, shorter tennis sessions and gradually increasing intensity and duration helps build your physical capability without overwhelming your system. First develop the amount you do, then increase the intensity.
Through these steps, Reload Physical Therapy doesn’t just rehabilitate or enhance your physical capabilities; we equip you with the knowledge and habits needed for a lifetime of health and vitality.
Embrace Your Path to Longevity with Reload PT
In the journey towards a healthier, longer life, understanding your unique physical needs is crucial. Reload Physical Therapy is here to guide you to your sweet spot, developing and maintaining an exercise tailored to your evolving physical capability and fitness goals.
Don’t leave your healthspan to chance – book an initial evaluation with Reload PT today and take the first steps on your path to sustainable health and wellness.
